Guest post by The Holy Rover: Part Two on Hildegard von Bingen: The Hildegard Trail

Last week I presented Lori Erickson’s post on Hildegard von Bingen. As The Holy Rover, Lori and her husband Bob travel the world and visit places of spiritual significance. She has done a series on her visit to Bingen, Germany and writes with eloquence about this extraordinary woman. Here is a portion of part two of her series on Hildegard von Bingen:

I love this sign, don’t you? I’ve traveled to a lot of holy places, but Bingen, Germany, is the only place where the pilgrimage route is marked by a nun sign. Hildegard is their most famous resident, and they want to make it easy for pilgrims to follow in her footsteps.

And more people are doing just that, for Hildegard of Bingen is enjoying a surprising career resurgence for someone who’s been dead for nine centuries. Her fan club is certainly diverse: feminists hail her as a foremother, environmentalists praise her views on nature, New Age enthusiasts recognize her as a kindred spirit, and musicians record her chants (the CD A Feather on the Breath of God was a surprise best-seller in 1988). And in 2012 Hildegard was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI, an honor given to only four women saints.